Melon butterflyfish
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| Melon butterflyfish | ||||||||||||||
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| Chaetodon trifasciatus Park, 1797 |
The melon butterflyfish [1], Chaetodon trifasciatus, is a member of the Chaetodontidae.
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[edit] Range
Found in the Indian Ocean from East Africa to Western Java. This is one species of a closely related group which includes the Blacktail butterflyfish which is found in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the Oval butterflyfish which is found in the Western Pacific, from Eastern coasts of the Indonesian islands to Australia.[2][1]
[edit] Description
Growing to a maximum of 15cm long, these monogamous fish swim in pairs and may be territorial and aggressive to other Chaetodon. They are oviparous.[2]
[edit] Diet
Melon butterflyfish feed exclusively on coral polyps, particularly of the type Pocillopora.[2]
[edit] Habitat
The melon butterflyfish is found at depths between 2 and 20m, in coral-rich lagoons and semi-protected seaward reefs. Small juveniles are secretive and hide in corals.[2]
[edit] Similar species
The blacktail butterflyfish is similar but has black anal fin and tail.[1] The similar species the Oval butterflyfish Chaetodon lunulatus occurs in the Pacific rather than the Indian ocean.[2]
